Steve began his career as an environmental, health and safety attorney in the New York City office of Cullen and Dykman LLP. Prior to joining Smith Anderson in 1996, he also spent over three years as Senior Enforcement Counsel for the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Among other things, Steve served as co-counsel in the first Superfund cost recovery action ever brought by the State of North Carolina. He has also served as lead defense counsel in one of the largest OSHA enforcement actions brought to date in North Carolina.

His current practice involves many substantive areas of environmental, OSHA and land use law, including the State and Federal CERCLA, RCRA, UST, Dry Cleaner Solvent and Brownfields Programs. His practice also includes water quality, landfill, storm water, and wetlands issues. He regularly counsels clients on risk management, particularly with respect to mergers and acquisitions, due diligence, insurance matters, investigations and audits, and public company environmental disclosures. He has extensive experience representing clients before regulatory agencies and has handled a broad range of complex transactions for the purchase, sale, leasing, construction and development of commercial, industrial, and public utility properties.

Within the Firm, Steve has held various leadership positions and currently serves as a member of the Firm’s Compensation Committee.

Professional & Community Affiliations

American Bar Association

The Florida Bar

New York Bar Association

North Carolina Bar Association

Member, Environmental Law Section Council

Wake County Bar Association

Local Advisory Board, Capital Bank

Member, Existing Industry Committee, Cary Chamber of Commerce

President, Board of Governors of MacGregor Downs Country Club

Member, North Carolina Association of Environmental Professionals

Member, North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry’s Environmental Concerns Committee

Experience

Experience

Advised an investment company in a definitive agreement to purchase the outstanding equity interests of the largest independent blender and packager of lubricants to the automotive, agriculture, commercial and heavy duty markets in North America

Served as local environmental counsel for Fortune 100 company that owns and operates large scale waste-to-energy facilities

Represented a major convenience store chain for over 16 years in connection with acquisitions, enforcement defense, environmental permitting, and private party settlements throughout 13 states

Represented a global developer and manufacturer of pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals and agrochemicals in connection with defense of one of the single largest OSHA enforcement actions ever brought by the N.C. Department of Labor

Represented an international privately-held soft drink manufacturer, seller and distributing company in connection with its acquisitions and environmental and OSHA compliance at facilities across the United States

Assisted the largest electric utility in the United States for over 16 years with acquisitions, dispositions, and regulatory compliance regarding the utility's power plant properties, lakes, substations, transmission and distribution projects across North and South Carolina

Represented a national paper product company in connection with its environmental permitting and OSHA compliance at several North Carolina facilities

Represented a major convenience store chain with environmental insurance coverage disputes throughout the Southeast

Represented the largest electric utility in the United States who is a performing party in a CERCLA removal action at the largest Superfund Site in North Carolina and also in related contribution litigation brought against over 150 parties

Represented one of the nation's largest convenience store chains with the acquisition of 47 stores and 6 ethanol distribution facilities in Kansas and Missouri

Assisted a global developer and manufacturer of pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals and agrochemicals with OSHA compliance, document requests and inspections by NCDOL's OSH Division

Represented various clients to defend against and avoid to third-party claims for property damage and personal injury related to off-site contamination from underground storage tanks and general facility operations